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Topic: No mite treatment at all (Read 2383 times)

just been wondering who in here uses no mite treatment at all, mite treatment includes anything( chemicals , FGMO, sucrocide, vinegar, ect. If you use drone comb this is also treatment. I want to know who uses nothing for mites at all and are you on small cell or regular (large) cell foundation, ect. I just got 2 hives for my father that a his friend gave him, my fathers friends father-n-law died 12 years ago and the bee's have been there ever year in the woods by his dog pins and he told my father to come and get them, nobody has ever touched these hives in 12 years, my father already has 1 hive going on 9 years with no treatment and 2 hives going on 5 years and all his hives are on regular foundation and have never been treated with anything. im getting about 5 nucs from these hives next year my father lives in louisiana and bought his 3 hives as package's ( different years) from a man in mississippi , he bought about 7 packages and these 3 of his is the only ones that has survived

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THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 YEARS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new. Amateurs built the ark, Professionals built the Titanic

I have about fifty hives in three locations on natural or small cell. In two of those locations I use nothing at all. In one of those, I have been using Oxalic acid in most of the hives in order to monitor the success of the natural cell size and in order to have a clean bill of health to ship queens without any apistan strips etc.

At the end of a year of not treating there are an average of about 100 Varroa mites per hive. The following spring I (and a state inspector) can find no mites in the hives.

I have 6 colonies in two locations 18 miles apart. I've been keeping bees here in Tucson for going on 9 years and I have never used any treatments of any kind, ever, no chemicals, no antibiotics, no essential oils, no FGMO, no acids, I haven't even fed them since 2000. I haven't even requeened any until just this year. I have managed to get some small-cell into many of them.

My only question here would be---How long and how severe are winters in your area? It seems- when the bees are stressed by any parasite- the long cold winters do them in,or maybe it is long cold damp winters that are the culprit. Not being critical here at all,but just trying to learn why no treatments will work for some and not for others. If it were a matter of breeding, natural selection by mother nature would have accomplished a super bee long before this. Sometimes I overthink problems and your "scientific neglect" approach interests me. When I first started to keep bees,I lost every colony-every winter. Always had ample food stores in each hive. This was when I used no treatments whatsoever. Now I can say that at least 60%(not too bad when compared to others near me) of my hives survive the upstate new york winters. I have had both feral and packaged italians... no experience keeping other strains. So for now it appears treatment for mites of any type along with fumigillan are the only option I have. I will say that I have not tried small cell foundation untill this year.

My only question here would be---How long and how severe are winters in your area?

interesting point of view latebee, could be something to long cold winters!! what are the winters like in the area where they got the russian bee's from? I think it was a mountain regend but not sure if it was north or south russia but think it was the northern part.

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If it were a matter of breeding, natural selection by mother nature would have accomplished a super bee long before this.

could it be that the bee's here in the USA just haven't had the time to evolve to deal with the mites, they say russian bee's in russia have lived with the mites for 100 years, and how long have the USA bee's been with the mites, 15-20 years? not saying we didnt have some survivers already. but most of us have been buying from commercial bee sellers that still have to treat there hives to stay in business, they can't afford to lose 100's or 1000's of hives (to find there survivers , if any) and keep there sales up, they have to make a living to, some have just in the last few years started raising bee's for survival or mite tollerance.

we need some people that think about things more in depth, keeps the ball rolling and more points of view. but sometimes the simple approach is the hardest to see.

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When I first started to keep bees,I lost every colony-every winter. Always had ample food stores in each hive. This was when I used no treatments whatsoever. Now I can say that at least 60%(not too bad when compared to others near me) of my hives survive the upstate new york winters.

see I never thought about how or if anyone with cold and long winters might effect the no treatment question. could a long winter stress effect mite tollerance?

question: what would yall think if a hive that was mite resistant in the south and then you brought it up north with the longer, and colder winters,, do you think they should suvive or would the long winter stress effect the resistance, what I mean to say would the temp effect a hives mite resistance or the stress? has there ever been a study on this, the wild russian bee's over sea's deal with it but they have for a long time, dont know how there winters compair to northern states. might bee because there on natural cell? dont know.

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I will say that I have not tried small cell foundation until this year.

might be the trick, but you would have to try and see when you get them going. keep use updated

Logged

THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 YEARS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new. Amateurs built the ark, Professionals built the Titanic

Every couple of years we get a few minutes of snow. Sometimes we can get temperatures in the teens a couple of nights per year. Our Winters are usually quite a bit more moist than most of the remainder of the year.

Honestly I can't really be sure why mites and diseases have never been an issue for my bees. If it is our weather, that would give me some gratification, enduring 100F+ temperatures has to have some redeeming benefits. :)

I empathise with your losses. I certainly hope the small-cell helps your bees remain healthy. I can imagine how frustrating it would be to be dependent on chemicals especially since I have such reluctance to subject my bees to any myself.